1. Technical Field
The present invention relates to a reading apparatus, and more particularly, to a reading apparatus for biological analytical strips.
2. Description of Related Art
With the progress of the medical industry and the electronic industry, a variety of detecting apparatuses, such as electronic ear thermometers and electronic sphygmomanometers, have been developed for family medical care. Among all biochemical or immunological detecting apparatuses, the more common ones are those for detecting blood glucose, uric acid or total cholesterol. Such kinds of detecting systems can be divided into optical systems and electrochemical systems, as distinguished by the reaction signals involved. The electrochemical systems are more frequently used.
Since detection of different test samples requires the use of different substances as reagents, it is necessary to use different analytical strips in different types of tests. For example, blood glucose analytical strips are needed in blood glucose tests while uric acid analytical strips are called for in uric acid tests. In addition, in order to ensure the reliability of test results, only analytical strips that have not passed their expiration dates can be used. On the other hand, a conventional detecting machine typically uses an additional calibration chip to store such calibration information as the types, lot numbers and expiration dates of analytical strips. Prior to testing, a calibration chip corresponding to the type and lot number of the analytical strip to be used is inserted into the socket of the detecting machine, allowing the detecting machine to not only read the calibration information from the calibration chip, but also display the type, the lot number and the expiration date of the analytical strip, so that a user can confirm for himself/herself whether or not the calibration information displayed on the machine, such as the type and the lot number, belongs to the analytical strip intended to be used, and whether or not the analytical strip has passed the expiration date. In addition, the calibration chip may also contain calibration information regarding detection values of analytical strips bearing the same lot number. Therefore, to ensure accurate test results, the analytical strip in use must have the same lot number as that of the calibration chip. While using the detecting machine described above, the user has to verify the type, the lot number and the expiration date of analytical strips on his/her own. Hence, in case of an inadvertent mistake, the user may erroneously use analytical strips that belong to a wrong type, have passed their expiration dates or bear a different lot number from that of the calibration ship, thereby compromising the accuracy of test results.
Furthermore, most of the commercially available analytical strips need to be inserted into or removed from the detecting machine manually. However, it usually happened that the user may accidentally come into contact with the analytical strips during the manual operation, thereby contaminate the specimen and ruin the detection.